North-South, Calvert-Penn Flag

North-South, Calvert-Penn Flag

The divide between the North and South is enshrined with the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Long story short, slavery was an inherited institution found in all of the original 13 colonies.  However, by 1860 the Union was divided into slave-states and free-soil states.  Thus, the Mason-Dixon line became the de-facto dividing line between the North and South.

This flag is based upon the arms of Lord Calvert of Maryland and William Penn of Pennsylvania.  Somewhat similar to the Maryland flag, however, the three white dots on the horizontal black stripe and two white field are the coat of arms of William Penn.  While the black and yellow quarters represent Lord Calvert's arms. This flag is based upon the Crownstones that mark every 5th mile along the Pennsylvania-Maryland boarder.  The north facing side has Penn's arms, while the south facing side has Calvert's arms.  Note that every mile, excluding every fifth mile, it is marked with a P and M in the same manner for Pennsylvania and Maryland. 


The Mason-Dixon line only goes so far, some historians have figured that it continued onto the Ohio River.  When they do this, they are overlooking the fact that the Ohio river ain't a line.  But if you really wanna' be a Mr. Smarty pants, the Mason-Dixon line technically isn't a line. Because, the world is curved; therefore it's an arc, so we could call it the Mason-Dixon Arc.  No big deal, but what people are fixing at, is that it's the divide between slave and free soil. But people always overlook Delaware!  Delaware was also a slave state back in 1860.  Oddly the East-West Mason Dixon Arc of Longitude divides a slave state from the another slave state?

So no matter, this flag is to be flown along the divide of slave soil and free soil as it was in 1860.  For the start, the flag can be flown anywhere along the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Then to the Ohio River, round' Pennsylvania. From where Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia meet, down the Ohio river, until it meets the Mississippi.  Then upstream, northwards, up around Missouri, down along the western border of Arkansas.  But then, we cut through Oklahoma, west, along the Arkansas River till it meets up with the Canadian River.  Then around square hat of Texas.

The reason for cutting through Oklahoma's Canadian-Arkansas branch, is itsa' reminder of how divided the entire country was.  We should never forget many of the Native American warriors in Oklahoma took the Confederate side, while just a minority took the Northern side.   And yes, several battles took place in Oklahoma north and south of the Canadian River.  Furthermore, the Canadian River is good a dividing point, because its name reminds us that we had two earlier wars against our own brethren to the far North, in 1812 and 1776.

Now back to the North-South, Calvert-Penn Flag route, once you go around Texas's square hat and hit 32 degrees north, you head due west along this line, or arc to be more scientifically accurate, of latitude.  Reason being the first government to divide this western territory was the Confederate Government.  By which, below the 32nd North, the Confederate state of Arizona was created.

Again, this a reminder of the deep divide politics can have, that another group of Americans were fixing to cut up New Mexico territory long different lines.  The South even had a functional Confederate capital at Mesilla, C.S.A. Arizona, which is now officially a part of New Mexico.  Finally the very west of the North-South/Calvert-Penn divide follows the modern west end of Arizona below 32 degrees north.

Oh yeah, finally, some consideration for Delaware.  Since this flag represents the divide between free slave soil, it should be flown along the upper curve of Delaware from Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania to tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. 

 
So we have a new flag dedicated to the fallen from the US Civil War.  It's good to never forget the past, yet we must to live and cherish the now.  Sometimes it's hard to put the shoe on the other foot.  You can only guess how another is feeling, only God knows.  Memorial Day was originally created to heal the wounds between the North and South, and this is another flag dedicated to that memory and bring a glimmer of honor on all sides.




MD Crownstone Imgage: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason%E2%80%93Dixon_line
PA Crownstone Image:
https://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HMCY0_mason-dixon-line-crownstone_Millington-MD.html

The Dixon & Mason Survey Line Flag

 

To be a Sheldon Cooper, the Mason-Dixon line is not a line, but is rather a series of lines.  You can even argue that they should not be called lines since they are really arcs, due to the curvature of the Earth.  So how does The Mason-Dixon Arcs sound?   Well we wont go that deep but...

The most famous Mason-Dixon line is a line of Latitude: 39°43' north.  The least known Mason-Dixon line is the "North Line" and it is a line of longitude that falls along the 75° West.  Finally the Tangent line that is the main division between Maryland and Delaware does not dived the North and South, but rather divided East and West.  

The Mason-Dixon Line or rather the Chuck-Jerry Line is a cultural phenomenon in the USA.  Originally is was a border commission by King George III to settle a dispute between two slave holding colonies: Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Nonetheless, the Mason-Dixon Line has transformed into an iconic divide between the North and South.  

Some historians just use the upper line of latitude at 39° 43' North as the Mason-Dixon Line.  Others extend it as the divide between free and slave territories, such that the northern borders of Kentucky and Missouri are the 'Mason-Dixon Line.' Finally some just follow the actual three survey lines charted by Charles and Jeremiah. Who is right?  Well in today's understanding of a multilateral view of history and things, they are all right depending on your point of view, sorta' like a quantum string theory view of things. 

 Based upon these various interpretations, two flags have already been created.  One for the line at latitude at 39° 43' North, which you can read about it here.  Another that follows the divide between slave and free soil as it was in 1861. And finally here is flag that follows the official survey line from 1763 to 1767 that divides Maryland and Delaware by East-to-West as well as Pennsylvania and Maryland by North-to-South. 

 The design of the flag is based upon the County Flags of the surveyors who spelled out the Mason-Dixon Line. Mr. Mason was born in southern England, Gloucestershire County, on April 1728.  Mr. Dixon was born in northern England, Durham County, in July 27, 1733.   Gloucestershire County's flag has a centered blue cross, outlined with light beige, and green filling up the outer quarters.  Durham County's flag is horizontal bicolour of yellow on top and blue underneath with a counter coloured cross in the center.  

The Dixon & Mason Survey Flag is based upon the pattern of the Maryland Flag and modified versions of the Gloucestershire and Durham County flags.  A new colour added is white to the Survey Line Flag of Dixon & Mason for the outline of Gloucestershire's component and for Durham the central circle in the cross has a white disc.  

This flag directly honors Charles and Jerry for setting up the Mason-Dixon Line.   It should only be flown along the lines where the stones are marked off between Maryland with Pennsylvania/Delaware, where the famous M-P Milestones can be found.  Thus this flag can only be flown across the Tangent Line, North Line and along 39°43' until the last marker in western Pennsylvania/West Virginia.

As for the other two Mason-Dixon Flags:  The 39°43' north Flag should only be flown at that latitude across the US; the Penn-Calvert flag follows the divide between free and slave soil as it was in 1861 from Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania to Poston, Arizona.  But note that all three flags overlap Pennsylvania-Maryland border. 

 

 

 

 

It was quite a project when these two mathematically educated surveyors arrived in Philadelphia on Novermber 15, 1763.  They finished their survey in 1767.  

Mason-Dixon Line Flag at Fort Delaware, Pea Patch Island

The Mason-Dixon line was flown at Fort Delaware in the middle of Delaware river for a few minutes in honor of those that fell and suffered during the US Civil War.  Fort Delaware was a POW camp where many captured Confederate soldiers ended up after the battle of Gettysburg.

After it was flown, a small explanation to the staff was given about is meaning as a direct line of latitude at 39º 43', in decimal form is about 39.71666º.  It does not follow the slave soil vs free soil boundary, rather the North-South Calvert-Penn flag does that, which you can see here.  Rather is cuts across the US from New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania/Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.  It also represents persons who have ancestors who fought on both sides of the War Between the States. 

Not only that this flag is meat for all Americans and anyone tied to tragedy and hope of the US Civil War, this war cut its deepest scars into the heart of America be it black, white, or brown.